Sally is a doll😄
I will say after watching the video the NOISE scared me😨 I'm guessing your TV is really LOUD 😲
You may want to move her it's really intense 😣
Sally is a doll😄
I will say after watching the video the NOISE scared me😨 I'm guessing your TV is really LOUD 😲
You may want to move her it's really intense 😣
Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14
The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
*Deland,FL. *Washington DC *Boston (Back Bay) *Boston (North Station) *Wells,Maine *Albany,NY *New York (Penn Station) *Back to Deland FL. "July 1- July 22" 2013
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RIAL-RAIL-TOUR Check it out here
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charleychuckles1@gmail.com
I'm not poof reading any of this
So SWEET all wrapped up
I watched the video again, may be just the way it comes out, sounds like a lot of background noise.
That's all I meant👍
Is she taking the food/ formula better?
Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14
The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
*Deland,FL. *Washington DC *Boston (Back Bay) *Boston (North Station) *Wells,Maine *Albany,NY *New York (Penn Station) *Back to Deland FL. "July 1- July 22" 2013
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RIAL-RAIL-TOUR Check it out here
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...OW-A-NEW-MOMMY!!!!!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RAINBOW-BRIDGE
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...e-called-Simon
charleychuckles1@gmail.com
I'm not poof reading any of this
A squirrel's number one job is not to get eaten. To achieve this they monitor their environment very carefully. They use all of their senses to detect the presence of a predator in their environment. They are hyper vigilant. If not, they are dead.
These squirrels that you have are in an environment which is radically different from the outdoor, natural world. They do not understand. They do not understand that these sounds from the TV are not part of their environment, but rather a fiction created for entertainment. You understand these things. They do not.
A squirrel regards anything strange as potentially threatening. That is the safe assumption because if you are a squirrel and you assume something is not threatening, dangerous and it turns out that it is dangerous you are a dead squirrel.
Loud noises, unusual noises freak squirrels out. Quick sounds, violent sounds often accompany violent actions in a squirrel's world.
So what Charley Chuckles was trying to say was that part of the reason your squirrel(s) are unmoving is that they feel threatened. When threatened they find a small place where they can conceal themselves and then the squirrel does not move at all and the squirrel hopes that the predator can't find them and will give up the hunt. This may be part of the problem with your Caucasian squirrel who doesn't want to eat. It isn't enough that you turn off the TV when you feed. Think of humans who suffer from shell shock (traumatized by war)
In time they may come to not worry about the sounds from the TV but right now they are in shock from a complete change in their environment.
Is there a room where you can put the squirrels that doesn't have a TV?
Or maybe you can listen to the TV with headphones.
seahorse (09-30-2020)
Charley Chuckles gone from my arms FOREVER in my heart 8/14/04-3/7/13
Simon, our time was too short together, but you gave us so much love, be with CC now 3/7/14
The "CHARLEY CHUCKLES MEMORIAL RAIL TOUR" leaves the station choo chooo
*Deland,FL. *Washington DC *Boston (Back Bay) *Boston (North Station) *Wells,Maine *Albany,NY *New York (Penn Station) *Back to Deland FL. "July 1- July 22" 2013
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RIAL-RAIL-TOUR Check it out here
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...OW-A-NEW-MOMMY!!!!!
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...RAINBOW-BRIDGE
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...e-called-Simon
charleychuckles1@gmail.com
I'm not poof reading any of this
One more observation I have discovered.
As you try to get the squirrel's to trust you, don't stare at the squirrel. Look at out of the side of your eye, then look away, almost like you are little bit indifferent. Predators stare at their prey and I have seen the fear rising in the squirrel if I look at it directly, especially the longer I look at it.
Talk to her casually, in a relaxed way, the way you would with a good friend.
Yes, the symptoms of MBD can vary significantly. The extreme symptoms are the most obvious but lack of appetite and slight lack of coordination are some of the more subtle symptoms. The Caucasian might have some MBD.
She is very, very scared, maybe the people at the pet store or the humans who handled her were not nice to her. That is typical behavior when they are frightened.This makes me so sad. Can you put a hammock in the top of the cage for her to sleep/rest? She needs someplace soft to feel comfortable. All you have to do is cut a piece of fleece or blanket in a square (maybe 12"), snip the corners about 2" so you can tie them at the top of the cage. . I would add some soft blanket or fleece at the bottom of her cage too, nothing with loops or it will get caught in her nails... talk softly, pet her softly.
Some suggestions when you open the cage:
Don't put your hand in right away. Move back and see how she responds. She may take minutes to explore the door and consider leaving the door. It is always preferable for the squirrel to come to you rather than you physically approaching her.
You consider changing how you pick her up. Rather than grasp her around the middle with your thumb and fingers (which is very similar to what a predator will do) slide your hands, palm up, under her feet. Doing so gently and slowly. This leaves her free to run away if she chooses.
Squirrels have been know to chew on electrical wires. I believe that they see them as branches that are in the way, so they chew on them to clear out their preferred location to hide. Installing a GFCI just in case might be a good idea. Bottom line, keep an eye on her. Chewing is more likely when a squirrel feels agitated.
Baby Brutus (10-02-2020)
GFCI is a circuit breaker to automatically cut off electricity. She is not active because she is scared to death. I have not been able to stop thinking about this poor thing. I feel so sorry for her situation right now. She needs a quiet room (no tv, no loud noises), she needs branches from a safe tree, she needs soft blankets, a hammock up high to sleep in, she needs quiet and calm....that cage looks so inhospitable. I understand you mean well but I find it sad that they sell these squirrels in pet stores, they should not be sold to people who have no idea how to care for them. It is extremely important that they are cared for appropriately or they will die from not being cared for, they will also die from stress or depression. The only reason some people have them as pets is because they are too injured or disabled to survive in the wild and they know how to care for them. This one belongs in the wild.
Mel1959 (09-30-2020)
I tend to agree with seahorse. If a squirrel is stressed you need to do whatever is necessary to reduce the stress. This is not the squirrel that you have in a small cage with another squirrel, is it? If it is you should remove it from the other cage and allow it time to decompress and adjust to its new surroundings. She needs to be in a quiet atmosphere till she can adjust. Squirrels have the ability to “check out” and die when they are overly stressed or traumatized. Please give her the necessary time to adapt to you and her new surroundings.
seahorse (09-30-2020)
A GFCI is a type of electrical outlet. The letters stand for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupt. If a device plugged into a GFCI outlet experiences a ground fault, meaning the electricity is escaping the closed system, then the outlet immediately cuts the power. These outlets have a Test and a Reset button. The purpose of a GFCI is to prevent someone from getting shocked.
In the United States these type of outlets are usually found in kitchens and bathrooms and other damp locations. I suspect that there is something similar in Greece. You may be able to find a power strip that has a GFCI built in.
I don't know what the rules are regarding doing electrical work in the place you live. The breaker for the circuit would need to be turned off in order for it to be worked on safely.
That info should help you get started.
Poor Sally is definitely stressed, but I do think it's in part because of losing her partner. I don't like the idea that they're sold in pet stores, but it obviously happens and it sounds to me like you want to learn about them and take care of them. I'm glad you found our board! IMO, the fault lies with the pet shop that obviously didn't learn enough about these animals to feed them correctly (so now you have to make up for the deficit)...and then they didn't even offer to sell them cheaper as a pair despite the fact that they are usually sold that way. I don't know much about caucasian squirrels but I assume they are raised and shipped to the pet stores in pairs for a reason and the least the store owner could do is offer a discount.
In any case, the blocks you made look good and treating for MBD, at least until you know she's well and especially right now while she's not eating, is definitely a good idea. Unfortunately, if she is pregnant, the pregnancy is likely adding bodily stress and there's a good chance it won't end well if she doesn't start getting valuable nutrition soon.
If she is not comfortable in her nesting box try adding soft material like cotton strips from a t-shirt to the box and moving the nesting box to the right corner where she prefers to hang out. Also add cover to part of the front of the box:
I read that caucasian squirrels typically nest lower than other tree squirrels, including in tree roots and stumps sometimes, so I don't think it needs to be crazy high but if you have a higher table or can get the cage lifted higher, it may help a little. I would place a block in the nesting box with her and if it gets quiet and she feels safe, she may nibble on the block you placed in her nesting box. I've noticed that older wilds that are injured will never eat in front of me, but they will nibble at food if they don't have to venture very far to get it.
Leaving the cage at least partially covered is also a good idea. Ideally the shadow will fall over the nesting box, with some sunlight coming in to the other side, so that she can venture into the light, but has a dark safe space to retreat to.
She absolutely adorable BTW! It's amazing to me that a squirrel from a pet store would let you hold them like that. Have you tried offering a piece of avocado yet? They're too high in fat to feed regularly, but I think it would be safe to try in her case. Or maybe there's another fruit that's native to her habitat? I wouldn't add nuts or seeds but something with natural sugars would be fine to try.
I really hope everything works out. She's an absolute doll
She NEEDS something soft. All you have to do is wash the blankets/fleece/clothing every other day. Or you don't have to completely cover the floor of the cage but at least half of it. She will learn not to urinate on the cloth very quickly. That cage looks so harsh and cold. The box with cloth in it is a very good idea as well.
Update
I have bought i bigger nest and put some soft staff so she can be more warm
Your thoughts?
That should help.
Generally, they don't poop and pee where they live, but she might make an exception if she is still feeling very shy. In the long run you shouldn't have to work to hard to keep the fabrics clean.
Regarding her water bowl. I would put less water in it. Not more than 1 cm deep, maybe less. Given the depth of her water bowl her head will be tilted downward when she drinks. What you don't want is for her nose to go underwater when she drinks because this can cause her aspirate, meaning swallowing water into her lungs. (This can be a fatal problem.) So, if the water in the bowl is shallow, this is much less likely to happen.
Her water should be changed everyday to prevent bacteria growing. It should be washed and rinsed in hot water periodically. Generally, wild animals prefer to drink from moving water. But that isn't an option, but just trying to say they can be picky about water too. You might want to add a quality water bottle as well. (It shouldn't be made of plastic given a squirrel's nature to chew on things.)